Excluding water, tea is the most popular beverage consumed by man. Tea is very refreshing, can be served either hot or cold, and has been made commercially available for many years. Lipton®, for example, is the world's leading brand of tea, made available in over 110 countries by Unilever.
Today, modern scientists are exploring the exciting potential of tea, which has a unique combination of natural antioxidants known as flavonoids that can include catechins, flavonois and flavonol glucosides. Taken regularly, tea can help improve vascular function, combat fatigue, reduce cholesterol levels and increase feelings of vitality.
Antioxidants found in tea, especially green tea, are believed to reduce the risk of cancer. Studies indicate that antioxidants lower the risks of cancer in the upper digestive trad, colon, rectum, pancreas and breast. Moreover, catechins including epigallocatechin gallate, (EGCG), epicatechin (EC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), and epigallocatechin (EGC), which are found in tea, have been shown to positively impact physiological activities, and their use as antiallergic agents and cerebral function activators has been proposed.
In view of the many positive contributions associated with antioxidants, it is desirable to formulate consumable compositions, like beverages with tea solids, with elevated levels of antioxidants, especially catechins. Unfortunately, however, increased amounts of catechins, like epigallocatechin gallate, in food compositions can lead to end use products (especially beverages with tea solids) that can have poor stability, appearance and taste characteristics.
It is of increasing interest to produce stable consumable compositions with elevated levels of catechins. This invention, therefore, is directed to a stable and consumable composition as well as a precursor and method suitable for use to make the same. The stable and consumable composition of this invention comprises plant extract solid and an added acidic stabilizer comprising an acid found in a plant extract solid. The composition of this invention, unexpectedly, has excellent stability, appearance and taste characteristics even when the same is formulated with elevated levels of catechins. Moreover, the composition of this invention can be stabilized with an acidic stabilizer (like gallic acid) that has antioxidant properties.
Additional Information
Efforts have been made for making tasty consumable compositions. In U.S. Application Publication No. 2003/0054089 A1, ready-to-eat and tasty foods are described.
Other efforts have been disclosed for making good tasting edible consumables. In U.S. Application Publication No. 2002/0001651 A1, edible consumables with monomeric or oligomeric polyphenolic compounds are described.
Even other efforts have been made for making good tasting consumable compositions. In U.S. Application Publication No. 2005/0123660 A1, beverage compositions with improved flavor are described.
Yet other efforts have been disclosed for making good tasting consumable compositions. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,570, concentrates for good tasting ready-to-drink tea compositions are described.
Still other efforts that address tea compositions have been disclosed. In U.S. Application Nos. 2005/0003068 A1 and 2006/0177559 A1, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,652,890 B2 and 7,109,236 B2, tea compositions with catechins are described.
None of the additional information above describes a stable consumable composition comprising plant extract solid and an added acidic stabilizer comprising an acid found in a plant extract solid.